Arsenal v Crystal Palace: Eagles Looking For Smash n Grab!

Arsenal Aiming To Maintain Superb Home Whilst Crystal Palace Will Be Looking For Another Smash And Grab! Team News. Manager Comments. Stats, And Prediction.

By: Marc Gingell

At the Emirates Stadium Arsenal have been superb with just one Premier League loss against Manchester City at the very start of the season. On the other side of that Crystal Palace have had a good season on the road and started the weekend in 7th place in the away day table. That’s better away form than the Gunners.

Crystal Palace Team News

Opta Stats

Arsenal have lost just two of their 22 home meetings with Crystal Palace in all competitions (W16 D4), 0-2 in a League Cup game in November 1970 and 1-2 in the Premier League in October 1994.

Following their 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park earlier this season, Crystal Palace are looking to avoid defeat in both league meetings with Arsenal in a campaign for the first time since 1979-80.

Arsenal have won each of their last six London derbies at home in the Premier League, their best such run in the competition since 11 straight victories between December 2001 and November 2003.

Arsenal have won their last 10 home Premier League games – they have never won 11 in a row at home within a single top-flight season before.

Arsenal have won 22 more points at home (44) than they have away (22) in the Premier League this season, the biggest such difference in the competition. However, Crystal Palace have won the highest ratio of their Premier League points this season away from home (59 per cent – 23/39).

Crystal Palace have alternated between victory and defeat in their last eight Premier League games, losing against Man City last time out. Away from home, the Eagles have won three of their last four in the Premier League (L1).

No team has played more English league games on Easter Sunday than Arsenal (7), while this will be Crystal Palace’s first ever league game on that day.

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic scored two penalties in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Selhurst Park earlier this season. Only three players in Premier League history have netted three penalty goals against an opponent in a single campaign (Graham Alexander v Hull in 2009-10, Robbie Fowler v Sheffield United in 2006-07 and Peter Beardsley v Wimbledon in 1993-94).

Alexandre Lacazette has scored nine home league goals for Arsenal this season. If he scores here, it will be just the second Premier League season to see two Arsenal players net 10+ home goals (Aubameyang has 11) after the 2004-05 campaign (Thierry Henry 21 and Robert Pires 10).

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored more Premier League London derby goals than any other player this season (6).

Prediction

Crystal Palace will be looking for their own version of the smash and grab as they try to escape from the Emirates with three points. The smash being Wifried Zaha being taken out in the box and Luka Milivojevic converting the resulting penalty!

Arsenal 0 Crystal Palace 1

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